Gatorland Redux

August 18, 2009





Gatorland Redux



Our last day in the Orlando area, we decided to visit Gatorland. As you may recall, I made my initial visit to Gatorland just last month, but Kathy wasn’t with me and I wanted her to experience the wonderment that I felt when I was there. It really is an amazing place, at once a throwback to the old Florida roadside attractions of the past and also a remarkable slice of the natural side of the state that just happens to have shows like the Gatorland Jumparoo and Alligator wrestling.





It manages to capture the history and natural experience of the state and our most well-known reptiles in a respectable and interesting way without being too terribly hokey. It is very impressive.





We took in all the shows, the Close-Up Encounters where guests are exposed to tarantulas, snakes, large lizards and gators up close and personal. I was called to volunteer to help hold a python which was fun. The shows focus on the reality of the natural experience of the animals rather than merely hyping how deadly or dangerous they might be, in sharp contrast to the presentations at nearby SeaWorld.





The weather once again cooperated, though there was a brief rainstorm which just happened to hit while we were watching a show under convenient cover that keep us dry.



The park was as full of gators as ever, though many of the nesting birds that were there last month have migrated elsewhere. There was still plenty to see and I think Kathy appreciated the experience, though she does not share my fascination with large reptiles.





The swamp walk was beautiful and serene, but the coolest part was the large selection of white alligators that they have on display. The extremely rare leucistic alligators have mostly white skin and deep blue eyes. Very few are known to exist and they have four on display, some of which were extremely loud and frisky while we were there. If you haven’t experienced a full throated alligator bellow, it is really something to hear.

Universal Studios

August 17, 2009





Universal Studios



One of the cool things about being a Florida resident is that you get major discounts to the Orlando theme parks. We took full advantage of this in getting two day/ two park passes to Universal Studios twin theme parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The passes allow you to go back & forth between both parks and are the way to go if you choose to visit the parks.





We decided to begin at Universal Studios, which is the older and more established of the two parks. The day we visited was the first day of the soft opening of the brand spanking new rollercoaster, The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit which takes riders on a straight up vertical rise before plunging them almost straight down into a series of twists, loops and turns. I have included a link below so you can take a virtual ride if you choose.







Universal Studios has a ton of great rides, almost all of them based on popular TV programs and movies. They range from small but chaotic rollercoaster type rides like The Revenge of the Mummy to cool simulators like The Simpsons Ride. There are the more traditional disaster type rides like Jaws & Twister and a plethora of shows as well.








We took in a somewhat hokey, but enjoyable Beetlejuice show that featured Beetlejuice and more traditional monsters singing and dancing to hit songs. All the effects and the grounds and displays are all top notch and the place really enjoyable if you are in to the theme park experience. The food isn’t as good as over at the Disney Parks, but the ambiance rivals anything that Disney has.





We were incredibly fortunate both days with the weather, it was warm, but thankfully overcast and breezy, with no rain and not all that much humidity considering it was central Florida in mid-August.







The next day, we hit Islands of Adventure, which is filled with more action type attractions such as the major rollercoasters; Dueling Dragons and the Incredible Hulk. It also features themed areas (or islands) each with its own motif. My favorite by far was Suess Landing which featured the characters from the wonderful Dr. Suess books. They also have areas for the likes of Marvel Comics, Jurassic Park and the Lost Continent.





The rides here were more high energy and the crowds were small, so we had time to ride our favorite rides multiple times. It was a great and fun couple of days, which we ended with spectacular meals at a couple of great restaurants. One, Tavern Opa, featured some of the best Greek food we have ever eaten. A 5 star – must visit if you like Greek food and are anywhere near Orlando.





Rip Ride Rockit Coaster

Tavern Opa Restaurant

The Traveling Circus & Medicine Show

August 16, 2009

Michael Franti

Adam Duritz

The Traveling Circus & Medicine Show





After a day at Disney, we headed over in the evening to Universal CityWalk to the Hard Rock Live to see the first of two shows in The Traveling Circus and Medicine Show featuring the Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead and Augustana.







The concert was a rarity in that unlike the traditional opening act, break, headliner; in this show all the bands shared the stage at the same time, together, solo or with various combinations that made for a truly unique concert, unlike anything I have witnessed in the more than 500 concerts that I have attended.









The venue was great, a large open standing room only in front of the stage, with a balcony and excellent acoustics and amenities as you might expect at the World’s largest Hard Rock Café. We even met up with some other fans, Chris & Elizabeth, from the CC boards from their website who happened to be standing next to us.

Chris & Elizabeth





The show featured each band playing their hits, often accompanied by members of the other bands, they even sang each other’s songs as well as sharing the stage with as many as 20 performers playing together on a variety of cover songs starting with Van Morrison’s, “Caravan” and wrapping up with a stirring version of Woody Guthrie’s, “This Land is Your Land”.





In between, there were more than 3 ½ hours of some of the best live music you will ever see. The unique format ensured that each band was at the top of their game and the highlights seemed to come one after the other throughout the night.



As much as I love the Counting Crows, having seen them live upwards of 40 times, it seemed that Michael Franti brought the most energy to the show. As great as the Crows and Augustana were, and both bands were on, whenever Franti was singing the energy of the place was shifted into overdrive. It was awesome.





Franti even pulled members from the crowd and strapped guitars on them at one point and during his hit, “Say Hey, I Love You” he brought a child onstage to sing along. Rather than seeming like tried and true concert gimmicks, these moments came across as spontaneous and heartfelt. In fact all the bands really seemed to be enjoying the format and it really came across in the energy of the performance. It was a wonderful, fantastic show and I can’t wait to see it again in Miami.